Church not only target in abuse inquiry

JULIA GILLARD has launched the most comprehensive inquiry into child sexual abuse in Australia's history with a nationwide royal commission to investigate churches, charities, state governments, schools, community organisations and even the police.

After fresh allegations last week about systemic abuses and cover-ups by the Catholic Church in NSW, federal cabinet agreed late on Monday to establish a commission that would look at the sexual abuse of children inside institutions and the frequent and often deliberate failure to do anything about it.

''Any instance of child abuse is a vile and evil thing,'' the Prime Minister said.

''There have been too many adults who have averted their eyes to this evil.

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''There has been a systematic failure to respond to it and to protect children.''

The decision came as pressure to act built to bursting point and it has widespread support across politics. The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said the Coalition would support a royal commission that looked further than only the Catholic Church.

''Any investigation must be wide ranging, must consider any evidence of the abuse of children in Australia, and should not be limited to the examination of any one institution,'' Mr Abbott said.

''It must include all organisations - government and non-government - where there is evidence of sexual abuse. Victims must be allowed to heal, and perpetrators must be brought to justice.''

The former prime minister Kevin Rudd also backed a royal commission, after expressing doubt about the ability of several state inquiries to get to the bottom of the issue.

Numerous Labor backbenchers and independent MPs joined the clamour on Monday, as did the state MP Fred Nile.

Ms Gillard said the commission's terms of reference would be finalised by Christmas, after consultation with the states, churches, victim support groups and other relevant organisations. She said that given the sheer scope of the commission, more than one commissioner might be appointed.

She put no time limit on the inquiry, saying that was ''not knowable'' but it would ''take quite some time''.

She said the inquiry would investigate ''all religious organisations'', state government care groups, not-for-profit bodies, schools and responders to abuse complaints such as child services agencies and police.

Before the announcement, Ms Gillard informed the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, his Victorian counterpart, Ted Baillieu, and the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell.

Hours earlier, Mr O'Farrell was resisting a royal commission, saying it would interfere with or delay the special commission he had established to investigate allegations of abuse by Catholic clergy in the Hunter region.

Mr O'Farrell later welcomed the announcement. ''These heinous offences don't stop at state boundaries,'' he said.

Cardinal Pell also welcomed Ms Gillard's announcement. ''I believe the air should be cleared and the truth uncovered,'' he said. ''We shall co-operate fully with the Royal Commission.''

However, he complained about the media coverage of the church, saying ''public opinion remains unconvinced that the Catholic Church has dealt adequately with sexual abuse''.

''Ongoing and at times one-sided media coverage has deepened this uncertainty. This is one of the reasons for my support of the royal commission.''

The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, said: ''The diocese of Sydney expresses its unqualified abhorrence of child abuse, wherever it occurs … We will work and pray for an outcome which will result in a safer society for the most vulnerable.''

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, the Hunter police officer whose call for a royal commission into the alleged cover-ups in NSW last week revived the issue, was elated.

''I'm thrilled to bits,'' he said.

''My wife's in tears. She's been on the phone to some family members of victims and they've just been crying.''

Chief Inspector Fox praised the swift action of the Prime Minister, saying it stood in stark contrast to the ''dismal'' and ''sad'' reaction of Mr O'Farrell.

''I think it shows the calibre of a politician to make the call that's been made today,'' he said on Monday night.

Ms Gillard said the commission need not interfere with, or delay, any police investigations into abuse, and other inquiries, such as that set up by Mr O'Farrell, would continue.

86 comments

What was the chances of this ever getting done by the middle aged, male, white churchies like Rudd, Howard or Abbott ??

Commenter

Bill

Location

FNQ

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:29AM

Absolutely nil, Bill, but something else she will probably not get much credit for.

Commenter

DMH

Location

Sydney

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:38AM

Rudd was calling for an inquiry before Gillard announced it; Abbott said he owuld support any inquiry before Gillard announced it. This has nothing to do with gender, or rellgous affiliation.

Commenter

Jace

Location

Sydney

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:44AM

Where Angels fear to tread; goes an atheist.When good men do nothing, a woman is 'moving forward’ – go Julia!

Commenter

BRC

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:57AM

Jace, one has to be quite deluded to give Abbott any credit for the establishment of the Royal Commission. Contrary to what you say, Abbott would not support "any inquiry" - he would only support "a royal commission that looked further than only the Catholic Church", as the article above states. While this might be seen as a positive thing by some, in reality it is merely a cynical ploy aimed at diluting the resources of the Commission. 80%-90% of abuse allegations lie squarely with the Catholic Church, and this is the bulk of the inquiry should be directed. From the start, Abbott's reaction to these allegations has been a mixture of denial, duplicity, and political maneuvering aimed at protecting his church. Setting up an inquiry that's overly broad is another item from his bag of dirty tricks, as he knows full well that a Commission with infinite terms of reference is unlikely to dig up very much on anyone in particular. To use an analogy, this would be an equivalent of setting up a Royal Commission on general corporate governance in Australia when specific bribery allegations against AWB surfaced 10 years ago. Such an inquiry would have been so broad as to be completely useless.

Sorry, but Abbott gets no kudos from me for his role in this story. Watch this space - we are soon bound to hear about "religious persecution against Catholics" from Abbott or his proxies. He will use every covert trick available to protect the top hierarchy of the Catholic church.

Commenter

K

Location

Bne

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 6:37AM

@ Jace, just a day or so ago, Hockey was campaigning against a Royal Commission, by falsely claiming that the victims wanted the crimes to remain hidden. You really think that Abbott and Costello would order a Royal Commission?

Commenter

Sure thing

Location

Sydney

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 6:59AM

Yes, just maybe something will come out of this finally.

Astounding statement from Pell above:''public opinion remains unconvinced that the Catholic Church has dealt adequately with sexual abuse''I don't think public opinion will be convinced until the perpetrators are in gaol.This is not a matter for the Catholic Church to deal with. It is a criminal matter.

Last week he referred in regard to St John's College to: "actions that would be considered illegal in the outside society".Does he REALLY think there is a separate law for them?!

The perpetrators may be in a minority, but the people protecting them certainly are not, especially in executive positions.As long as this is the case, the problem will not be addressed in any meaningful way because anyone trying to do something about it will be thrown out.(see http://www.smh.com.au/national/satisfied-whistleblower-weighs-future-in-the-force-20121113-2994l.html for case in point)

Commenter

Angantyr

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 7:05AM

At last, Gillard has done something right. I am absolutely delighted that those creatures who prey on children will, hopefully, be called to account. Either that or they will melt away - like snow flakes in the desert - a bully always runs when confronted. Bring on the commission's terms of reference - they had better not be wishy-washy!

Commenter

EBAB

Location

St Lucia

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 9:35AM

Gillard's hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me. She cannot convince the majority of thinkers that Abbott is a misogynist. Or that the massive inflow of boat people has somehow something to do with Abbott. That the budget deficit is the fault of Abbott for being an obstructionist. So what can Abbott be associated with. I know, she thinks: Abbott is Catholic, I'll set up an inquiry into child abuse, make it a widespread concern so it does not look like another misogynist venture.

Err, Jules how long have you been in charge? Why has child abuse by theists suddenly appeared on your radar? Why the dramatic and sudden TV appearance with the concern of a mother superior for the children of Australia? Jules, child abuse by priests has been happening long before you first set foot in parliament. However I will give 1 out of 10 for hoping that Australian's will not see you for what you are?

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

November 13, 2012, 5:37AM

Your comment is highly inappropriate. This issue is not the place for your petty political rants.

13 Nov
MY BROTHER Richard * attended Kendall Grange from the late 1960s to the mid-'70s. In 1996, six months after our dad died, he revealed to my sister and myself the horror of what had taken place at Kendall Grange. He had been very close to his father.

13 Nov
AFTER so much pain, so many shocking revelations, so many years of thankless campaigning by the betrayed and so much resistance by the accused, the fight to expose the full horrible truth about institutional child sexual abuse in Australia finally reached a tipping point yesterday.

13 Nov
A senior detective who blew the whistle on an alleged police cover-up of sex abuse in the Catholic Church said he had received threatening messages on police letterhead since speaking out on an issue that he acknowledged would end his career in the force.

12 Nov
West Australian child sex abuse victims have welcomed the announcement of a national Royal Commission that will examine how religious organisations, state care and public and privately-owned schools have responded to allegations.

13 Nov
The country’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has hit out at "exaggeration" and "smears" against the church over alleged cover-ups of child sexual abuse, while welcoming the royal commission announced by the federal government.